MESSAGE FROM DR DONASIANO RURU, CHAIRPERSON OF TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONALFIJI, ON THE ORGANISATION’S FIJI DAY CELEBRATION 2014

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THIS week, we will mark Independence Day, 44 years ago --whenPrince Charles, representing Her Majesty the Queen, presented to Ratu Sir KamiseseMara, the constitutional documents of Independence, at Albert Park in Suva.

It was “a proud day for us all”, to quote the Prime Minister.“For today,” Ratu Sir Kamisese had said, “we assume thecontrol of our destinies and take on full adult responsibilities, after a longperiod of tutelage.”

He added, and I quote:

“We do not only take the responsibility for ourselves, but we take it on for each other.”

“We are a community ofraces with different cultures, customs and languages.But the things that unite us far outnumberthose in which we differ.

“Above all, there is our fixed joint determination to build astrong united Fiji, rich in its diversity and tempered with tolerance, goodwilland understanding.”

End of quote.

Those noble and memorable words:“Wedo not only take the responsibility for ourselves,but we take it on for each other.”Theyring down through the years since Independence, to our nation and its people, as we make our wayback to parliamentary government, after the recent general election.

The successful national election, asI have said elsewhere, was an important step in the nation’s return todemocracy.

Now, we need to live out our commitment,every leader and citizen in all walks of life, to achieving a visible nationalculture of accountability, in order to build a sustainable democracy in ourcountry.